Guidelines to a Christian response to Islam in America

In recent teaching sessions on the road, I presented some thoughts on "A Christian Response to Islam" and several wrote and asked for the notes. I am providing these in order that we might understand the conflict we have with the Muslim world as believers in Jesus, but be gracious in our deportment amid disagreement. We try our best to use these principles:

Principle 1: We cannot act in fear, but in love and grace.

1. Don't overlook the problems: We cannot study Islam without acknowledging a significant and growing movement to radical militarism. Those who desire to link Islam only to the peaceful and gentle are perhaps not aware of growing radicalism and of the historic images (both spoken and graphic) of Islam. The internal language of Islam is quite military, and very dominance oriented. Any basic study of its history and faith content bears this out. We help no one by ignoring the message that many Muslims want us to know about them, whether we like the message or not. Sit down and talk to a
religious Muslim, as I have countless times in the Near East. The line of reasoning is often, "There will be a great conflict, and you will all become Muslims." I have heard it thousands of times.

2. Don't overstate: We cannot paint all Muslims with one brush of militarism. We cannot hate a group based on the abhorrence to violence and radicalism. Our job is to love and yet not back up when it comes to truth (which we carefully define as set in the contents of the Bible). My Muslim neighbor is first a precious person for whom Jesus died, and therefore must be treated with respect and honor. Titus 3:2 reminded the young church planting missionary that he was to "speak evil of no man, not be a fighter, but rather gentle and meek unto all men." Paul reminded him, "we were also once foolishly walking in disobedience to God, deceived and serving our own pleasures..."

Principle 2: Our witness must be rooted in accurate knowledge of those we reach.

1. We must understand the ears of the hearer of the Gospel, as our Muslim friends cannot hear about Jesus except through the filter of their culture and faith. A careful understanding of how they think and feel is essential to presenting the message of love to them. We may think they understand our intent, but often they do not. We are obligated to speak the truth in love, but we are further obliged to know how they can hear it.

2. We must understand the logic of the Qur'anic approach and identify the experience of many of our friends as Muslims. Many have "warm fuzzies" about their days growing up in the mosque picnic with uncle Abdul, sitting around having a good time with family and friends. Their experience is linked to their feeling about their faith. We cannot discount this. The fact is, many believers in Jesus have firm convictions about issues - not based on careful research - but based on "uncle Ed (and he was a godly man!) used to say"...Your Muslim neighbor has the same basis for much of his belief.

Principle 3: Our boldness with the Gospel must be gracious but pointed.

There are two keys to this -

Key 1. We must deliberately stand sharply against the blunting influence of the pluralism arguments of religious tolerance.

a. We love, but love is based on truth, and we unapologetically believe that truth concerning who God is and how I can relate to Him is found in the Biblical text. Any writing that denies the veracity of that text errs. If the Qur'an claims that Ishmael (not Isaac) was the son of the Abrahamic sacrifice scene, it is wrong. If the Qur'an claims Jesus was not killed and raised, it is wrong.

b. We understand that it is not simply the amount of faith that pleases God; it is faith in the right object that pleases God. Many confuse this in Christian circles. They somehow see great acts of an attempt to please God as a great thing. Every attempt to find and follow God apart from the Biblical standard is at least delusion, and at worst a deliberate denial that the sacrifice of Messiah was sufficient to give us eternal life.

c. We acknowledge there really is a DIFFERENCE in the view of the Qur'an and the Bible. Oprah's feel good version of the Bible confuses its basic message. Jesus was exclusive in His offer as THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life. Paul was not embarrassed by that message. When people disagreed, he pronounced them as flatly wrong. Tolerance in the public arena is a virtue, for it allows us to live together in a democratic society. In faith, we have a responsibility not to allow that tolerance to blunt our understanding of truth. When we allow our truth understanding to be eroded, the loser is the truth.

d. We deny the prophetic status given to Mohammed, as Muslims deny the veracity of the New Testament in relation to the Deity of Jesus the Messiah. They truly have no problem saying that the New Testament is a sham, a historically inaccurate rendering of the true events. We must be no less pointed in our understanding that the Qur'an is in error. We do not need to act like both groups are unaware of their differences, that makes no sense.

e. We acknowledge our relationship with Muslims has been hindered by our mistreatment of them in the past, and the mischaracterization of many Christians in the present conflict. Historically, there have been many that used the name of Jesus as an excuse for their despotic work and intent. We hurt deeply when we read of a "Christian militia" fighting anywhere in the world, and deny openly their right to shroud their militarism in the cross of Jesus. We apologize humbly to any Muslim who has been wounded by these events, and openly share that we see none of those actions as reflective of the teachings of Jesus or His followers in the New Testament.

Key 2. We must point out the coldness of academic love of the pursuit of a collection of facts as an end in itself. We are not interested merely in the process, we believe ultimately there is truth at stake.

a. Our democratic view of society does not negate our desire to see all men know God through a relationship with Jesus.

1. We support a religious pluralism in our society based on our view of redemption. We believe that a relationship with God must begin in the heart of each individual as they yield themself to the work of the Holy Spirit, and that they cannot be legislated into a relationship with God. It is every man's right and responsibility to stand before God alone, and they must be given an opportunity to believe or reject those things that Scripture teaches.

2. We argue that this will be accomplished by persuasion in our speech backed up by authenticity in our lifestyle, not by an ungracious legislative approach to our neighbors.

b. Our desire to have men believe our message does not destroy our support for religious tolerance and understanding in our pluralistic democracy. They fulfill differing objectives - one to build our country, the other to share our faith.

1. Where our moral fiber is challenged, we will avidly debate to persuade our lawmakers not to depart from the Biblical heritage and foundation of our country.

2. In spite of this, we will not use the opportunity to defend our historical stance and our Biblical ideals in an attempt to demean or destroy another's faith.

Hope these help!
R